To Raqib Ahmed Asif
Reader comment on item: Salman Rushdie and British Backbone
in response to reader comment: To John

Submitted by Oliver (United States), Jul 3, 2007 at 22:09

I had intended this comment for you, Raqib, but I made an addressing mistake.

Jesus said the following:

John 7:28 "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,

Here Jesus is claiming to be sent by someone who has greater authority than Himself.

John 8:14 "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

Here Jesus says we must judge Him by other than human standards and that He was sent by the Father.

John 8:42 "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

Here Jesus says He was sent from God the Father, that they were having trouble understanding Him because God was not their Father and they did not belong to God.

John 8:54 "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." "You are not yet fifty years old," they said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!" "Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Here Jesus lifts the veil of His teachings a bit when He claims "before Abraham was born, I AM!" The Jews try to stone Him because the term "I AM" is the same word construction God used with Moses on Mt. Sinai. Jesus said "I AM GOD"

John 10:24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

As you can see in the above extracts, Jesus presented his claims to divinity in such a manner that the unspiritual mind would have difficulty in their understanding. In the final passage, the Jews put the question to Jesus directly. His reply, "I and the Father are one." caused the Jews to seek to stone Him again. This time Jesus asked why they were trying to stone Him, they replied, "We are not stoning you for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." As you must agree Jesus made the claim of Divinity, the Jews finally understood His claim and verified it by trying to stone Him.

Can I be of any further assistance?

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